Romanian tennis legend Ilie Nastase has been handed a three-year ban and a fine by the International Tennis Federation over his offensive statements about former world number one Serena Williams and a foul-mouthed Fed Cup tirade.
Romania's Fed Cup captain, the former world number one and Grand Slam champion Nastase came under scanner of the ITF following his alleged racist remark about Williams' pregnancy during a Fed Cup tie against Great Britain in Bucharest in April.
As Romanian player Simona Halep was answering a question in English about Williams' pregnancy at Friday's Fed Cup draw in Constanta, Nastase was heard to say: "Let's see what colour it has. Chocolate with milk?"
As a result, Nastase will be banned from acting in an official capacity at the ITF event until December 2020 after a series of misdemeanours, including making threatening comments to a Press Association journalist.
The two-time Grand Slam winner has also been fined 10,000 dollars besides being denied accreditation to all ITF events until 2018, excluding Grand Slams, Sport24 reported.
Besides abusive comments about Williams' unborn child, Nastase had also repeatedly asked the Britain captain, Anne Keothavong, for her room number ahead of the Fed Cup encounter.
Subsequently, he also hurled abuse at British player Johanna Konta, Keothavong and the umpire, resulting in Konta's match to be briefly suspended as she left the court in tears.
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